Vaibhav Suryavanshi stunned the world and made headlines with a remarkable century against the Gujarat Titans on Monday, but it was the tutelage of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid that significantly shaped his cricket career. Suryavanshi's talent first caught the eye of VVS Laxman during a BCCI U-19 one-day Challenger tournament. However, his coach, Manoj Ojha, revealed it was a spontaneous incident that highlighted Laxman's early recognition of Suryavanshi's potential.

“In one of the games, Vaibhav was run out for 36. So, he started crying in the dressing room. When Laxman saw this, he came to him and said, ‘We don’t only see the runs here. We see people who have the skill for the long run.’ Laxman saw his potential very quickly. The BCCI has backed him too,” Ojha had told Sportstar.

Ojha also expressed concerns about the cricketing environment in Suryavanshi's home state. “Bihar is not ideal for aspiring cricketers. No one cares. The BCCI has stopped caring about it as well. It’s becoming increasingly difficult with each passing day,” he told theindianexpress.com

“As a coach, I want him to leave Bihar immediately to play for another state. I want top Ranji teams to offer him a chance, and he must accept it. He should play for a state where he can be nurtured and where he would be well-supported,” he further added.

Laxman's backing and belief in Suryavanshi's talent led him to recommend the youngster to Rajasthan Royals' head coach, Rahul Dravid, who then took the youngster under his wing.

“He is training really well, and he looks like a really good and exciting talent but there are other equally good players as well and part of our responsibility is to groom him well, give him a little bit of time in the environment, let him get used to it and practice with the players, let him get a feel of the environment, all these are great experiences for him, rather than putting him straight in front of the crowd so it’s a part of the process we follow in grooming a player and if an opportunity arises we won’t be scared to play him if it is required,” he revealed.

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from IPL 2025,IPL Orange Cap, IPL Purple Cap, Most Sixes in IPL, Cricket, Sports and around the world.